Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Name: Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 360 g warm coffee or water (for instant coffee use 2 teaspoon of instant coffee); 360 g all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 300 g granulated sugar; 150 g dark brown sugar; 75 g unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 165 g vegetable oil; 270 g sour cream 18% (room temperature); 3 large eggs (room temperature); 3 tsp vanilla extract; 200 g butter (room temperature); 210 g creamy peanut butter; 310 g powdered sugar; 1 ½ - 2 tbsp whole milk (room temperature); 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; Large and mini peanut butter cups; Small handful of peanuts

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links.

This is the most amazing Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake ever! Three layers of incredibly moist and soft chocolate cake covered with a smooth peanut butter frosting that will make you want to reach for a second slice.

This super easy peanut butter chocolate cake recipe is for any peanut butter and chocolate fans! This cake has incredible soft and delicious chocolate cake layers covered with a most creamy peanut butter frosting. This recipe uses the best chocolate cake recipe ever, and this moist peanut butter chocolate cake will a new favorite!

For more chocolate cake recipes, try Chocolate Coffee Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chocolate Ganache Cake.

Jump to:

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
INGREDIENT NOTES
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - BUTTERCREAM AND ASSEMBLING
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
FAQ
HOW TO STORE
Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Easy chocolate cake layer: These chocolate cake layers are incredibly soft and so quick and easy to make.
Peanut butter frosting: The most luscious peanut butter frosting is your new go-to peanut butter frosting! It is quick and easy to make and it'll make you want to make this cake over and over again.
Easy and quick recipe: It's an incredibly easy recipe to make and beautiful showstopper of a cake.

INGREDIENT NOTES

These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
Cornstarch: Helps give a light and soft cake
Sugars: The granulated sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake. The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate cake.
Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
Coffee: Use freshly brewed coffee. The coffee helps boost the chocolate flavor. It can be replaced with hot water if you don't want to add coffee to the cake. Coffee is also used in the in buttercream.
Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
Unsweetened Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch process cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
Butter: The butter is used in the buttercream.
Creamy peanut butter: I recommend using creamy peanut butter, e.g. Skippy or Jif, for the buttercream for the best result.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Here is how to make and bake this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need 3x 20 cm/8-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.

The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.

Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven and line 3x 20 cm/8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.

STEP 2: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.

STEP 3: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - BUTTERCREAM AND ASSEMBLING

STEP 1: Mix the butter and peanut butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 2 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.

STEP 2: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk in 2 parts. Mix on low speed until each addition is fully incorporated, then scrape down the bowl and continue mixing on low speed for 1 minute.

STEP 3: To assemble, start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers, using a serrated knife, so they have an even top.

STEP 4: Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the next cake layer and repeat the process. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in a crumb coat so its a thin layer of frosting.

STEP 5: Finely decorate with cake crumbs from the leftover cake scraps, mini and large Reese's peanut butter cups and peanuts around the edge of the cake.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.

FAQ

Can I replace the sour cream with something else?

Yes, replace it 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt.

Can it be made a day ahead?

Yes, make each element the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers in the freezer well wrapped in plastic wrap, the next day defrost them 1 hour before assembling the cake. Store the peanut butter frosting at room temperature covered by plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Before assembling, give the peanut butter buttercream a good mix to remove the air bubbles. Assemble the cake as written in the recipe.

When do you know when a cake layer is done?

I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.

HOW TO STORE

Store the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a few days.

Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try

Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.